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Flintstone · Dec 18, 2003, 05:48 PM

I've read some of the earlier posts on this topic but am still a little unclear as to the probable cause. We have a Ti 550 where the display sometimes goes into total horizontal chaos. If you hook an external display up, there is no problem with the display there (though the Ti's display continues to flip out). Does this rule out the inverter and logic board?

It certainly seems like a mechanical problem, since moving the display will sometimes clear it up. I've opened up the case and moved the dsiplay cable around, unplugged, cleaned the contacts with an eraser, etc. This often alleviates the problem for a while, but it inevitably returns. It doesn't necessarily seem like the cable itself, since I've popped off the hinge and wiggled the wires while the problem was manifest with no effect. Pressure on the case near the connector, however, often seems to have an effect. I suppose it could be the connector or nearby components on the logic board.

It's a bit pricey to be replacing parts... and replacing the display cable looks fairly daunting. Anybody have success resolving this problem?

Jim

Macola · Dec 18, 2003, 06:22 PM

Had this problem on a Ti/400. I replaced the inverter board but no luck, so I'm afraid it's the LCD itself. I'm waiting to find one at a reasonable price on eBay...maybe early January.

Flintstone · Dec 20, 2003, 01:48 PM

Well there are a couple other possible culprits... It might just be the cable from the board to the display (which is not cheap and looks quite tricky to replace) or maybe it's the connector on the board, or the board itself. Replacing the LCD will replace the cable as well, so I will be curious to hear if it works for you.

I just don't know enough about how the video works on these machines to make an informed guess on how to proceed.

Jim

Macola · Dec 20, 2003, 10:56 PM

I literally took my Ti apart piece by piece, except for the display itself, and so I doubt it's the board or connectors. It could possibly be a loose cable within the display module, but they're extremely tricky to open up, so I figured I'm looking at getting another display either way. Or else I may just try to sell it for parts.

Cellery · Dec 21, 2003, 01:46 PM

My PowerBook G3 Lombard had the same display craziness, and it was the result of the LCD signal cable snapping inside the hinge. A co-worker's Rev. A TiBook had this happen recently as well, and it cost ~$400 to fix. I guess the action of opening and closing the lid causes a lot of stress on the cable over the years.

dialo · Dec 21, 2003, 02:25 PM

This was a problem that was very common with early tibooks, and according to the gazillion threads in the apple forums a year ago, it was due to the connector.

Flintstone · Dec 29, 2003, 07:46 PM

Well I've found that I can get the problem to go away by administering pressure to the case near the connector on the logic board. I currently have a small C-clamp giving it a squeeze and that seems to keep the display happy - for now. I am tempted to send Apple a picture of this arrangement...

jyumibe · Dec 31, 2003, 07:18 PM

hey,

i'm having the exact same problem, so it sounds, and yer tip about pressure under the connector works for me as well--if you come up with anything else, could you post it? thanks!

josh yumibe
[email protected]

Originally posted by Flintstone:
Well I've found that I can get the problem to go away by administering pressure to the case near the connector on the logic board. I currently have a small C-clamp giving it a squeeze and that seems to keep the display happy - for now. I am tempted to send Apple a picture of this arrangement...

jyumibe · Dec 31, 2003, 08:11 PM

well, i've tinkered a bit more with it, and it's definitely either the tip on the display cable or the connector on the logic board that the tip goes into.

instead of the c-clamp, i've put some thin plastic buffering on the inside of the bottom case where the connectors are, so that it puts some pressure on the connector/cable, and that seems to be working so far. though, i little nervous about this hack repair. thinking that i should probably try a new cable.

Macola · Jan 1, 2004, 06:22 PM

Originally posted by jyumibe:
well, i've tinkered a bit more with it, and it's definitely either the tip on the display cable or the connector on the logic board that the tip goes into.

instead of the c-clamp, i've put some thin plastic buffering on the inside of the bottom case where the connectors are, so that it puts some pressure on the connector/cable, and that seems to be working so far. though, i little nervous about this hack repair. thinking that i should probably try a new cable.

Have you tried simply opening the case and reseating the connector? It didn't help my TiBook, but if yours is truly due to the connector on the logic board and not the cable inside the hinge, as someone else suggested, that should fix it permanently.

jyumibe · Jan 1, 2004, 07:03 PM

what do you mean by reseating the connector? i've pulled the tip of the display cable from the connector and reseated it in there, and that didn't help--it seems that either the tip or the connector have corroded a bit and aren't making a proper connection--only with pressure on the connector with the tip in it works.

do you have something else in mind by reseating the connector? it seems to be pretty soddered into the motherboard, and i don't want to mess any more with it unless otherwise.

it's not the cable being pinched because if you move it with the hinge backing removed while the computer is on, it doesn't make any difference--only pressure on the connector does the trick.

Originally posted by Macola:
Have you tried simply opening the case and reseating the connector? It didn't help my TiBook, but if yours is truly due to the connector on the logic board and not the cable inside the hinge, as someone else suggested, that should fix it permanently.

Macola · Jan 2, 2004, 01:26 AM

We're probably talking about different cables or maybe you have the DVI model (mine is a first-gen Ti 400). I'm referring to the LVDS cable, which attaches to the logic board through the left hinge (near the infrared port).

I looked through the Apple discussion boards and there are a lot of posts on this topic, but there seem to be several different causes and no clear opinion on what fixes it (other then sending it in to Apple for repair, and even that doesn't always help). I'll probably sell mine for parts since I don't have AppleCare anyway.

jyumibe · Jan 2, 2004, 03:23 AM

yeah, i do have the DVI (Ti 800), but we are talking about the same cable, more less--the LVDS (extremely thin wires, multicolored).

Originally posted by Macola:
We're probably talking about different cables or maybe you have the DVI model (mine is a first-gen Ti 400). I'm referring to the LVDS cable, which attaches to the logic board through the left hinge (near the infrared port).

I looked through the Apple discussion boards and there are a lot of posts on this topic, but there seem to be several different causes and no clear opinion on what fixes it (other then sending it in to Apple for repair, and even that doesn't always help). I'll probably sell mine for parts since I don't have AppleCare anyway.

mrtew · Jan 3, 2004, 10:32 AM

I sent my computer into Apple for this (Ti1Gz) and they replace the entire screen. Got rid of my dead pixel but the problem came back within weeks. Total horizontal hairy chaos, often followed by a string of errors in the log an a system freeze. I noticed that it was often caused by moving the screen or computer, and then that I could cause it by pressing on the bottom of the computer kindof under the caps lock key area, or the letter A. Sent it back in when it go too bad and they replaced the mlb or something which I took to be the mother board. No problems since. One discussion on Apple's boards seemed to be leading to the conclusion that they were groping around for the solution to the problem and it may be as simple as the wire getting pinched inside the hinges (or maybe somewhere near the bottom of the computer?).